


The Juggling Act

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-31 05:17:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15112589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: After losing both of their parents in 18 months, Kevin struggles to raise his brothers and find a wife and run a kingdom all at the same time.





	1. In The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever fanfiction. I look forward to all critiques and help anyone can give me. All credit goes to the boys and their management. This is purely just for fun.

      There once was a kingdom called Backstreet. The kingdom was in the outskirts of Brussels and it exceeded 200 square miles. The kingdom was once ruled by King Jerald and Queen Ann. His Majesty had five sons. The oldest was Prince Kevin Scott. Continuing in order was Prince Howard Dwaine (Howie), Prince Brian Thomas, Prince Alexander James (AJ) and the youngest Prince Nickolas Gene (Nick). On King Jerald’s deathbed he asked his five sons to try to work together to give the kingdom the strength to move on from his death. He also asked all his sons to take “co-ownership” of the titles. He wanted all his sons to rule equally. He knew his oldest was the most sensible while Nickolas was the most reckless. The sons begged their father to not do this, but he was adamant. All 5 sons were not on the greatest terms with Kevin and Nick being the most strained due to age. Kevin was already 19 while Nick was still at the tender age of 11. Howie, Brian, and AJ were 18, 16, and 13 respectively. The five boys were rarely seen together except at formal events where required. They mostly kept to their rooms and avoided being in rooms all together. Several days after asking the five boys to rule together, King Jerald sadly passed away at the age of 58 on September 5, 2001. Immediate plans were then made to get the five boys together to coronate each of them.

  
     A few hours after their father’s death, the boys gathered in the formal living room in the palace. This was the first time in more than 3 months that all 5 men were in the same room. Kevin was calmly sitting on the ottoman of the lounge chair with his brothers all standing or sitting on the couches in various points of the room. Brian and Howie were the closest to their father, so they were trying to contain their emotions as best they could. Nick and AJ scoffed at the attempts. They were hurting deep inside but the anger towards the situation and for Nick, being in the same room with Kevin brought his anger to the surface. He angrily asked Kevin why he was so calm. Kevin stated that he saw their father’s death coming and had already said his goodbyes to his father while he was still alive. Brian and Howie asked Kevin, who was with their father when he passed, if he had suffered in his last moments. Kevin gently replied that he had not. His last words were the names of his sons and the word “together”.

  
     All 5 boys remained quiet until the servants and dressmakers came in to get their coronation outfits made. The boys went out individually to get their measurements and things done so the outfits could be made post haste. None of the boys were looking forward to the next few days.

  
    Back in the dining room, Kevin and AJ were trying to have a conversation about what would soon occur, but the brothers started talking over each other and were not listening to the other one at all. Brian and Nick, who were the closest growing up, being nicknamed Frick and Frack, were sitting back and observing. They had already had their measurements done. Howie, who was the last one done, came into the room and tried to shrink away from the noise, due to his hatred of confrontation. AJ and Kevin’s voices were steadily rising in tone and volume. Suddenly, Howie started screaming and crying because he was becoming overwhelmed with the yelling and cursing. It was not well known in the kingdom that Howie had a mild form of autism known as Asperger’s syndrome. He did not take confrontation and yelling well at all. AJ and Kevin both stopped their argument while Nick and Brian rushed over to comfort their big brother. Howie soon became cocooned in his brothers arms while trying to stem his crying and slow his breathing. He reached out for Leigh who was another grounding force in his life. Leigh was his nanny growing up, and now took care of him and the castle. He clung to her and his brothers as everything seemed to calm down. The devastation on both Kevin and AJ’s faces were visible. They had known about Howie’s disorder but completely forgotten it in the heat of the moment. They were both trying to inch their way to Howie, but Brian and Nick stopped them. Nick told them both to back off and let Howie have some time to breathe and calm. Kevin started getting angry but quickly calmed seeing Howie tense up again. Howie was the 2nd oldest son but was the shortest and quietest of the five brothers. All 4 boys were fiercely protective of their brother. He was rarely seen in public functions, much preferring his bedroom and spending time with his toys and learning about space. He was fascinated with astronomy and the fact that space is infinite. None of the other boys shared his enthusiasm but listened to their brother all the same.

  
     Two days after their father’s death was King Jerald’s funeral. It was a kingdom wide national day of mourning. All 5 boys wore black and carried their father’s hearse to his final resting place in the graveyard adjacent to the castle grounds. That is where he wished to be buried. His wife Ann was beside herself with grief. The 5 brothers all knew that their mother had a great chance of dying within the year to be with her husband. They had been married for over 30 years and had 5 wonderful sons to carry on the name.

  
     One week after King Jerald’s death, September 12, 2001 came the coronation of the 5 boys. They would now be known as King Kevin II, King Brian, King Howard III, King Alexander V, and King Nickolas. The boys had had many meetings together, some more peaceful than others, to try to divide their responsibilities. King Nickolas had the least due to age, while Kevin bore the most. He would be the most public of the brothers while Howie, AJ and Nickolas would not be seen often.

  
     Brian, as the middle son, would often be the go between his brothers. He was the most boisterous of the 5 and always had a funny joke or comment on the tip of his tongue. He and Nick were peas in a pod sometimes. As Brian was getting older though, he and Nick seemed to drift apart slowly. Nick, as rambunctious as he could be, was the most grounding force for Howie. He was the one who was closest to him and could get him to do things that the other boys or their parents could not. Kevin was the most somber and responsible of the boys, being the eldest. He had little patience for pranks or jokes. He now realized he had to practically raise his brothers. His mother was too wracked with grief to properly care for the younger boys. Kevin also came to the realization that Howie would never really be able to rule as King. The title was more as a figurehead in his case than for actual ruling of the kingdom. Brian was still 2 years off his majority while AJ and Nick were barely a teen, and a preteen respectively. Kevin had to shoulder the responsibility to the public on his own. AJ was slowly turning into the rebel of the five brothers. He wanted nothing to do with learning how to rule a kingdom, much preferring to go into town to look at all the pretty girls his age. He mostly dressed in black and so wanted to dye his hair, but he was forbidden. He was close to Howie but got frustrated with him more easily than his other brothers.

  
     Kevin turned 20 a few weeks after his father’s death on October 3. The first holidays without their father was difficult. Ann was still in the throes of grief and did not want anything to do with the holidays. Soon after they ended, AJ turned 14, Nick turned 12, and Brian was within one year of his majority at age 17. Things slowly returned to their new normal for the family in their time of grief and moving forward.

  
   It seemed that Kevin took to public office like a duck to water. Their subjects did not seem to realize that a true shift had occurred. To the public, all was well. But inside the castle was a completely different story. Kevin was struggling under the weight of being the only publicly seen king, Howie’s Asperger’s seemed to be getting worse, Brian was becoming tired of being the go between with his brothers, AJ was going more down the rebel route, and Nick was having a harder time containing his emotions leading to many outbursts and arguments between him and Kevin. The boys were struggling with their grief and trying to learn to carry on without their father.


	2. Trying to Find "The One"

     After a few months of dealing with all the responsibilities that came from being king and trying to raise his brothers, Kevin was exhausted. He barely slept at night, due to Howie waking every few hours from a night terror or nightmare. Howie was slowly becoming more and more quiet and barely ventured from his room. Brian was increasingly becoming frustrated with his younger brothers and their inability to be willing to learn about the necessary things to become rulers. Both AJ and Nick just wanted to be kids, but both knew in the back of their heads that it just wasn’t going to be possible. All 4 boys knew that Howie would not be able to rule. It was also becoming increasingly apparent that the public wanted Kevin to find a wife to have a Queen to assist him in running the kingdom. Where Kevin was going to find the time for finding a wife, he didn’t know, but gossip around the towns was becoming knowledgeable to even the castle staff.

     One day while walking the grounds of the castle, Kevin came across a woman helping pick the fresh fruits and vegetables that were used in the kitchens. He stopped the woman and asked her name. The woman’s name was Kristin, and she was working to help her family who lived on the outskirts of the kingdom. Her family did not have much money and the money Kristin made went to her parents to help raise her younger sisters Lauren, Rochelle, and Leighanne. Kevin was enchanted with this woman. Her brown eyes and blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight highlighting her tanned skin. Kevin learned that she was just barely 18 years old. Kristin was fiercely independent and knew the value of a hard day’s work. She just wanted to help her parents out. They were newly expecting Kristin’s youngest sibling. Her mother couldn’t work, and her father was struggling as a landscaper especially with the winter months coming. Kristen worked both in the kitchens and out in the fields helping pick the crops. Kevin soon found himself talking with this woman day after day learning more about her from each conversation. Kristin was very cautious around men after being burned from her preteen crush. She had very low self-esteem and did not want a fuss made over her. But there was something about Kevin that was vastly different. He seemed to listen to everything she said. He also respected her boundaries and never asked extremely personal things. It seemed like he was too good to be true. Kristin was falling hard and fast, she had to get away.

     Soon after realizing Kristin hadn’t been seen in a few days Kevin became concerned. He asked around the kitchens after her, but no one could tell him where she could be. Kevin soon had to focus back on his brothers and the kingdom. The boys were rapidly growing up. Howie was now 19, and Kevin himself had recently turned 21.  The younger boys were looking forward to the coming holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas were coming and soon after was AJ, Nick and then Brian’s birthdays. AJ was turning 15, Nick was turning 13, while Brian would finally hit his majority and turn 18. He would then help Kevin out with running the kingdom. Their mother was near catatonic in her grief and her health seemed to slowly be declining. The boys hoped she could make it through the youngest 3’s birthdays.

     After the holiday and birthday season had ended, it was early March and Ann was barely holding on. She barely ate and when she spoke it was only for her husband. She seemed to act as if he was still alive. This devastated the boys who had to watch their mother slowly decline. On a cold March 12, 2003, Ann took her last breaths with her sons by her side. Her last words were “Jerald I am coming”. The boys were overcome with grief over losing both of their parents in 18 months. Howie, AJ and Nick were completely inconsolable. All three shut themselves in their rooms for days, only coming out for the funeral for their mother. Kevin and Brian knew they had to carry on for the kingdom. With Brian having turned 18 about a month prior to his mother's death, he was rapidly becoming Kevin’s right-hand man with running the kingdom. It took weeks for the 3 younger boys to venture from their rooms and resume normal life.


	3. Finding Kristin

     In the middle of June Kevin took another walk around the grounds. It had been almost 8 months since he had last seen Kristin. He ventured out past the castle walls and went down the main streets. He saw   Kristin now running a fruit stand about a half mile from the castle. He stopped and did a double take. Kristin was now gaunt, and her hair and eyes had lost their sparkle. Something had happened, and Kevin was determined to find out what. Kristin saw Kevin and started to panic. She tried to shy away from him, but he was gentle and soothingly asked after her and her family. Kristin slowly revealed that her mother had lost her life and the life of her unborn child. Kristin then said that her father blamed her for the losses. Her father started to heavily drink and started to verbally abuse her and her sisters. She was taking the brunt of it and it had turned physical towards her. Kevin was enraged. He immediately told Kristin that he would love to have her, and her sisters stay at the castle with him and his brothers, and that he would have her father arrested. Kristin initially resisted, but after gentle coaxing from Kevin, relented. She closed her stand and led Kevin to where her sisters were. Kevin was shocked at what he saw. Lauren was only 15, Rochelle was 12, and Leighanne was barely 4. The house was shoddy and falling apart. He quickly introduced himself to the girls and got their things together. He led the four girls to the castle. He told the servants to prepare 4 guest rooms for the girls and asked them to stay in the informal living room until they were done. He went off to find his brothers.

     Kevin found the boys in the back gardens enjoying the sun. Howie and Brian were reading books and watching AJ and Nick play in the pool. He called out to the boys and asked that they all come to the deck and sit at the patio table. The boys slowly came over and Kevin explained what he had done. Howie immediately got nervous and skittish. His Asperger’s had gotten worse and he was now having issues in new situations. Brian was the most level headed and asked about what had happened to the girls. AJ and Nick were stunned but seemed to accept the situation. Kevin stated he was not planning to adopt the 3 younger girls and that he would just be fostering them and giving them a place to live. Kristin was going to be mostly responsible for her sisters.

     With the explanations done, Kevin took his brothers to meet the girls. Holding Howie’s hand to coax him to come with them, he took the boys into the informal living room. The girls were sitting nervously on the couches and whispering to each other. All noise stopped when Kevin entered with Howie next to him. The other three boys slowly entered, and Kevin introduced his brothers while Kristin introduced her sisters. Rochelle and Nick seemed to get along as did AJ and Lauren. Leighanne slowly went up to Brian and shyly introduced herself. Brian found himself enchanted with this little girl. Leighanne barely came up to his knee but he found himself agreeing to play kings and queens with the little girl. Nick and AJ started to giggle at their brother but found themselves on the receiving end of a death glare from Brian. Eventually all four girls looked at Howie and wondered what was wrong. Howie was practically sitting on top of Kevin. Kevin slowly pointed out each girl and slowly said each name to Howie, so he could learn their names. Kristin slowly came over and said Hi. Howie looked at Kristin and gave a big smile and opened his arms. All 4 brothers jaws dropped. Howie had not initiated a hug since before their father died.  Slowly Kristin inched into his arms and Howie gave her a small squeeze and let go. The brothers were softly smiling at their brother. This was a major step for Howie to take.

    With their father arrested and thrown in jail for years, the girls slowly came out of their shells. Time slowly passed, and Howie turned 20. Kevin and Kristin resumed their friendship and rapidly Kristin fell just as hard for Kevin as she did a year earlier. Walking around the castle she hoped to find an older woman to talk to who knew Kevin. She walked past the master bedroom and found a servant cleaning Kevin’s room. She entered and asked after the woman’s name. The woman said her name was Jackie and she was Kevin’s nanny when he was young and was now his lead housekeeper and maid. Kristin knew she found the person she could talk to about her feelings surrounding Kevin. She asked about Kevin’s childhood and what he was like growing up. Jackie told Kristin about moments in Kevin’s life that not many knew. Kristin realized that Kevin was true to himself. He was as real as anyone. Becoming King had not changed him at all. Kristin thanked Jackie and went off to think. She realized that she was in love with Kevin.

     As Kristin was coming to these realizations, Kevin was not idle. He was making sure the kingdom was running smoothly and that his brothers were doing well. Kevin also slowly realized he was in love with Kristin. One day in early October, soon after turning 22, Kevin took Kristin on a date and at the end both confessed their love for one another. They slowly settled into life as boyfriend and girlfriend. The holiday season was soon upon them and brought some sadness to the boys and girls as both would be without all their parents for the first time. Shortly afterward AJ turned 16, Nick turned 14, and Brian turned 19.  

    AJ and Lauren fast became friends and found they had a lot in common. Both were the rebels in their family and had no desire to marry and have children. AJ knew he had 2 years left before he formally took the tile of King and wanted to enjoy as much freedom as he could before the stuffy formalness took over. Nick and Rochelle both still had a few years to enjoy their youth. Nick enjoyed pulling pranks on everyone while Rochelle was all about reading and trying to learn everything she could. She wanted to become a librarian and wanted to run her own bookstore. Little Leighanne was enjoying playing every day and enjoyed following her sisters and the boys around whenever possible.


	4. A Proposal, A Marriage, and Babies Oh My!

     Almost 19 months after their mother died, Kevin and the boys were doing okay. Kevin recently turned 23 and was preparing to propose marriage to Kristin. On October 17, 2004, Kevin took Kristin to the spot they first met in the back gardens and proposed marriage. Kristin accepted his proposal. Kevin had told Kristin early in the relationship that while his younger brothers may marry and move out of the castle, the odds of Howie moving out were very slim. Kristin loved Howie like her own and was very happy to have him stay with them if needed. The newly engaged couple then went to tell their siblings about them getting married. Everyone was very excited to become an official family. The girls had completely become integrated with the family and they were all brothers and sisters. The couple knew they had to make a formal announcement about the engagement and did just that. They announced they would be marrying on July 26, 2005 with Kristin becoming Queen of Backstreet that day.

     After a year of preparations, the wedding was almost near. Kristin was sitting in her bathroom looking at a pregnancy test. The sign was positive. This was completely unexpected. Both Kevin and Kristin were careful with condoms and trying to time her cycles. She tried to come to terms with the fact by the new year she would be a mother. If she calculated right she was due around Christmas. It was now May and the wedding was 2 months away.

     She tried to figure out a way to tell Kevin and was worried about his reaction. She wrapped the pregnancy test in a box to give to Kevin as a spontaneous gift. Kristin then searched in vain around the castle for her fiancé. After finding Jackie, she learned he was in the back orchards at his hiding spot. So, Kristin ventured out to find her fiancé in the orchards. Finding him quickly, she noticed he had a far off look in his eyes, as if he was stuck in a memory. Lightly touching his shoulder, Kevin jumped and looked at Kristin with a wild look in his eyes and immediately calmed. Kristin sat next to him on the big rock and just looked out in the orchards at the growing trees which would soon hold all types of fruit. She held the box loosely in her hands. Kevin immediately grew curious about the box and asked what it was. Kristin shyly gave it to him and waited for him to open it. As Kevin proceeded to do just that, Kristin intently studied his face to see his reactions. As Kevin saw the pregnancy test, his eyes got huge and a smile slowly started creeping across his face. Kristin didn’t know, but Kevin always wanted to be a father despite basically raising his brothers. He wanted a baby that was a product of love between him and his partner. He excitedly gave Kristin a hug and a long kiss. They started making plans to announce the pregnancy soon after the wedding. They did not want to announce it too early for fear of something happening to either the baby or Kristin. Kristin secretly went to the woman who was making her wedding dress to get it fitted a little looser so that the dress wouldn’t give anything away.

     A short two months later, it was Kevin and Kristin’s wedding day. Kevin had chosen his brothers as his best men while Kristin chose Lauren as her maid of honor, with Rochelle and Leighanne being bridesmaids. The officiant got the marriage ceremony over quickly and Kevin and Kristin were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Richardson. Richardson was the family’s last name that was rarely ever used. Shortly afterward, Kristin was announced as the new Queen of Backstreet. The entire kingdom rejoiced and celebrated for several days afterward. Kristin was extremely happy to finally be married to Kevin and to still be pregnant with their baby. What Kristin knew, but Kevin did not was that there was more than one baby currently in Kristin’s tummy.

     A few weeks after the wedding, the boys were all talking in the informal living room. Now that all 5 boys were getting older, the rivalries they had in their youth seemed to disappear. Nick was still a bit of a hot head but was slowly realizing that he needed to remain calm and try to work through his anger, not only for him, but for Howie as well. Howie still struggled daily with his Asperger’s. He still couldn’t tolerate yelling and screaming but his reactions towards new people improved a tiny bit. Howie enjoyed spending time with Kristin and her sisters now. Leighanne always was there to explain space to, and she seemed to listen intently. AJ was slowly realizing that he had to change, not his entire image, but to change certain facets of it. He still rebelled but was more creative about it and made sure it did not look bad on his brothers or the kingdom. Brian was trying to find his own happy ending. He helped Kevin out immensely and adored Kristin and her sisters.

     As all 5 boys chatted, Kristin came in and immediately went over to Kevin. All conversation stopped as the boys realized Kristin was shaking. Today was the day they were going to tell the boys they would be uncles by the new year. Slowly and haltingly, with Kevin helping her out, Kristin revealed to the boys that she was pregnant. The boys immediately reacted. Brian and Nick were so beyond happy for their big brother. Howie was confused about the situation and AJ was in shock. Howie slowly went over to Kristin and stuck his hand out. Kristin slowly guided his hand to her rounded stomach. Kristin whispered in Howie’s ears to get him to tell Kevin and the rest that there were actually two babies in her tummy. Howie told everyone what Kristin had said, and all noise stopped in the room. Kevin had a look of shock on his face that was mirrored by his brothers. He slowly went over to Kristin and reverently caressed her stomach. The look of joy in his eyes was mirrored in Kristin’s. The boys slowly came from their shock and congratulated their older brother and sister in law. Kristin and Kevin had already told her sisters earlier that morning about the pregnancy. Kristin then shooed Kevin from the room and told the girls about the twins. All the siblings were happy about the new additions coming in the new year.


	5. Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this short story. This is the first time I've ever written something like this, outside of essays in high school. I cannot say when I will get inspiration again, so for now this will be my only story. Thank you for the kudos and hits that this has gotten. I appreciate it all more than you can know. Hope you enjoy this final chapter and the epilogue.

     As Summer faded, Howie turned 21, and Kevin’s 24th birthday was rapidly approaching. Kristin was due with the babies in 3 months. Kevin took her to her 6-month appointment hoping to find out the sex of the babies. So far, they had been uncooperative with the ultrasound techs. Kristin and her sisters believed that she was having boys. AJ and Nick joined that bet, while Brian, Howie, and Kevin all wanted at least 1 little girl. As Kevin and Kristin settled into the office, the doctor and ultrasound tech came in. 20 minutes later, Kevin and Kristin were having fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. Kevin’s smile was radiant, and Kristin was equally as excited. Both were grateful that the twins were healthy and growing normally. The married couple went home to tell their siblings. The brothers were overjoyed to have a new niece and nephew to spoil in a few months. Lauren, Rochelle, and Leighanne reacted similarly.

     As Kevin’s birthday passed, Kristin grew more and more uncomfortable as her stomach swelled with the babies inside. When discussing names for the babies, both Kevin and Kristin wanted to honor their parents with the babies’ middle names. The boy’s name would be Mason Jerald Richardson. While their daughter’s name would be Ava Jane Richardson. Jane was Kristin’s mom’s name. With the due date, and the holiday rapidly approaching, the excitement in the castle and in the kingdom was palpable. The citizens of Backstreet were all ecstatic about the impending arrival of the royal twins.

     December 18, 2005 passed slowly. Kristin developed cramp-like feelings throughout the day but thought nothing of it, due to weeks of Braxton-Hicks contractions. As she was getting into bed that night with Kevin, she noticed water leaking out on to the floor. She quickly told Kevin that her water was breaking, and the babies were on their way. Kevin quickly woke his brothers and sister in laws and told them what was happening. He got Kristin into the carriages, and quickly got her to the Royal Hospital. After getting into their private room, and after 15 hours of labor, the babies were here. Mason Jerald Richardson was born first at 3:18PM weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce and 17 inches long. Ava Jane Richardson was born not long after at 3:35PM weighing 5 pounds 12 ounces and 17 inches long. Kristin was exhausted but extremely happy that she was able to deliver both babies naturally. Kevin was in awe of his wife and the beauty of his children. After allowing Kristin time to rest, Kevin’s brothers and Kristin’s sisters were allowed in the room to see the babies.

     The brothers and Kristin’s sisters were overjoyed to see the babies and wanted to hold them both. As Kevin laid Mason in Brian’s arms, he told Brian that he was Mason’s godfather. Kristin told Rochelle that she was his godmother. Ava’s godparents were announced as Nick and Lauren. Brian and Nick were surprised that they were asked for such a monumental task but were honored all the same. Kevin reassured AJ and Howie that they both would be godfathers to their other children, as Kristin and Kevin intended to have 4 children. The Kingdom of Backstreet rejoiced over the news of the Royal Twins’ birth for several days. All was well in the Richardson/ Willits family.

 

Epilogue

     As the years passed, AJ and Nick both started running the kingdom with Kevin, Kristin and Brian. Howie made infrequent appearances during formal events. Brian eventually married and had several children. AJ kept true to his word and never married or produced offspring. Howie eventually left the castle to live in a small home with AJ and AJ’s friend Ariel. Nick married and ended up adopting 2 children who were found on the streets of Backstreet. Kevin and Kristin ended up with 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. The kingdom of Backstreet was thriving, and Kevin was extremely proud of his younger brothers. Despite losing both of his parents in 18 months, Kevin successfully raised his younger brothers and ruled Backstreet alongside them. He could not ask for a better life, and he was grateful for it all.


End file.
